


Monsters

by LawrVert



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, True Forms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 12:10:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14401866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawrVert/pseuds/LawrVert
Summary: Carina knew no matter what, her father would always be there for her to soothe her hurts and protect her from the monsters all children fear...until she saw his true form.Based on Taneleer and his family from the comics but not entirely comics compliant as there are many gaps in my comics knowledge.Credit for Princess goes to @mal-0





	Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> This fic follows the basic comics canon where Carina is The Collector's daughter rather than an attendant as in MCU. 
> 
> I welcome all feedback, questions, or just a chat here or on my tumblr lawrofsakaar

When Carina was small, she thought herself the luckiest little girl in all the Universe. From an early age, she knew there was something special, magical even about her parents. They had a fairly typical house on Cygnus X-1, although her father had the most wonderful workshop full of books and all sorts of tools, a room filled with a vast variety of creatures, and a beautiful greenhouse. There, reclining on the soft earthen floor or on a blanket, she would close her eyes, inhaling the scent of damp earth and a thousand flowers in bloom. Sometimes, her father would hum softly as he worked, handing her a bit of fruit or a flower to tuck behind her ear, or together, they would surprise her mother Matani with a bouquet. 

Her parents seemed to know everything in the world, so instead of the typical simplistic answers children from other realms were given, they would sit her down with files or books answering whatever questions she had. When she was old enough, they began to travel, and by the time she was ten, she had seen more worlds than most people saw in their lifetimes. When she asked her parents why there were no neighbors or other children on their home planet, for the first time, she saw her parents look at each other with unease and a hurried, “Don’t you like having so much space to yourself?” Standing outside later, ear pressed to the door, she had listened to the soft sounds of weeping and angry voices. 

“What did you think would happen, Taneleer? We knew she would ask questions one day.” 

“I was hoping to avoid this for a while longer,” She had seen only a sliver of the room, her father’s red coat passing by the door as he replied, shoulders slumped, looking sadder than she had ever seen him.

When her mother answered, she was sobbing, her breathing ragged. “This planet will die one day. Just like its people. How many have we buried--all our friends, our neighbors? There’s nothing here for us now but crumbling ruins and memories.” 

“Well, she can’t grow up on a starship? What would you have me do, Matani?” Her father had wrapped he mother in his arms and was rocking her gently. 

“I..I don’t know. Perhaps finding another world to settle on soon.” 

“Then we will find another world.” He whispered words that Carina couldn’t hear directly into her mother’s ear that seemed to calm her. “Carina and I are still here. Forever.” 

The little girl decided from that point on that she would look for the others which surely must be somewhere on the planet….It couldn’t be just them. She would simply find the others and bring them back so her parents wouldn’t be sad or lonely any more. 

Stopping by a crate with a large lizard, she reached inside to scratch its head then lifted it and let it rest on her shoulder. “Come on, Princess, time for bed.” Carina was in the habit of letting Taneleer’s pet lizard sleep on her shoulder at night, often having her father read both of them bedtime stories or dressing her up. Her father found it absolutely endearing, though he had admittedly rescued Carina on the few occasions when Princess seemed close to losing patience. 

One day, the child snuck out at dawn, went exploring, past the yard, past the beach nearby, to the area where her parents had told her never to go. Climbing over a fence had been easy enough, since she had inherited her mother’s agility, and soon she walked on a street full of houses not so different from her own. Surely this was where the other people were. Even the brightly colored birds in the sky looked oddly ominous, though it was a beautiful, sunny day, given the sepulchral emptiness. Though the scene was eerie, Carina had her father’s occasionally stubborn streak and inquisitive nature, so she would not go home without answers. 

“Hello,” she called, cupping her hands and turning in a circle in the middle of the deserted street, approaching a house when she received no answer and knocking on the door. When her fist made contact with the door, it swung open, the rusting hinges making a mournful cry. The room was dark, the only light coming from the small lamp she carried and the sunlight slipping in through broken windows. Dust covered every surface like thick, silvery snow, coating her fingers whenever they brushed an empty table. Clothes hung in closets, bottles of dried up perfume sat on vanities, children’s dolls, painted eyes peeling away, stared from empty cribs. Though she was curious, it felt wrong to touch the old possessions, as if their owners would suddenly return, ghastly spectres seeking vengeance. 

Leaving the lonely house, Carina returned to the street where transport vehicles rusted, wires and metal jutting out of the corroded surfaces like bones from decaying skin. She turned in a circle, losing her sense of orientation, heart racing as she heard the first growl. 

Raised by a father who had extensive knowledge of flora and fauna, Carina could recognize the sound immediately and knew enough to hide under the nearest vehicle. Stifling a whimper as the gravel scraped her knees, she stayed completely still, sure that the approaching beast could hear her frantically beating heart. Dragging its tail, the reptilian creature sniffed the overgrown weeds at the curb, scratched at the ground, then raised its head with sudden keen interest. Lumbering over to the craft, spiked tail marring the earth with deep furrows, it stuck its nose underneath and stared at her, growling in frustration as she crawled as far from its reach as she could, closing her eyes and hoping somehow her father would save her, would sense her distress. 

At home, her parents were searching frantically for her, but it was Taneleer’s vision that told him where Carina was. “Matani--stay here. Stay safe.” He kissed her and ran, then glided to the city. Taneleer heard his little girl’s screams before he saw her. She was terrified, curled into the smallest corner under an old tank as the great hulking beast toyed with her, swiping a paw underneath or pushing at the side of the vehicle, trying to flip it over. Seeing his child crying, in danger, awakened something in him, and before he knew what was happening, his bones were stretching, his hands were elongating, talons springing from his fingers. The skin of his face and his hair seemed to recede, leaving a hard exoskeleton like a mask with long antennae in its place. In this form, he could fight the beast, slap it away tearing deep gauges in its hide.

Before she saw his familiar black boots and the bottom of the red coat, Carina heard her father's voice. A deep bellowing roar and the sound of a great weight slamming into metal were followed by a cry of pain and a yelp. Her father would banish the monster, the way he always did, though this one was far more frightening than anything her mind could concoct. 

With a burst of adrenaline, Taneleer hurled the beast up the street, but not before it left a gaping wound on his shoulder. Taking one last look back at the one who had ruined its meal, it bellowed and disappeared. 

“You’re safe now, Carina. Come out, my darling.” A long-taloned hand reached under the car, beckoning her. Although her father sounded strange, voice strained and dark, she crawled out from under the car, knowing he could fix everything. When the child saw Taneleer’s true form, she screamed, scrambling back in terror.

Her father had been replaced by a monster that wore his clothes. It was the only.explanation. Even now, the impostor bent down, offered her an enormous, sharp-taloned hand, something out of the cruelest nightmares. It asked her in its rasping deep voice if she was alright, tried to pick her up. Fighting back in the only way she knew how, she kicked his shin as hard as she could, screaming, “You're not my papa! Leave me alone!” 

Carina ran as fast as she could, home to her mother, looking behind her frantically to make sure the creature wasn’t following. Perhaps it had killed her father, stolen his clothes and planned to hurt her too. In the distance, she heard a long scream of agony that only drove her to run even faster until at last she was gathered into her mother’s arms and rocked as if she were much smaller. Telling her mother of the monsters she encountered as her cuts were bandaged and kissed better, she couldn't help but snuggle close to her, hoping this was all just a bad dream. 

“The monster was wearing papa’s clothes….only...it wasn’t. Is Papa all right? Did it hurt him?”

“Yes, my darling. Papa will be fine.” Matani set her down and stroked her hair, humming softly, gaze shifting furtively to the door. “Let me tuck you in and he’ll be here to kiss you goodnight soon.” 

Although she was too big, her mother carried her into her bedroom and took extra care fluffing the pillows and drawing up the blankets. Waiting until she fell asleep, Matani slipped out and signaled Taneleer it was safe to return. Initially, he greeted her as he usually did with a bright smile, but when she embraced him, she felt him leaning against her and swaying on his feet. When they parted, she almost screamed, seeing the pallor of his face and the wetness seeping through his jacket. 

“Taneleer!” Already, she sat him in one of the kitchen chairs and stripped the bloodstained jacket from his shoulders, scrambling to put pressure on the wound. 

It was as if her husband no longer inhabited his body, his eyes were fixed and distant, his shoulders slumped. As she cleaned, closed, and bandaged the wound, his facial expression never changed. When he did speak, he repeated the same phrase. “My own daughter was afraid of me…..she ran..” 

Tapping his cheek, Matani forced him to look at her. “Your true form is…” 

“Monstrous...hideous..” he supplied. 

The hand on his face slipped into his hair. “I was going to say unique. She will get used to it as I have. It serves its purpose.” 

“Perhaps we were wrong to bring a child into this broken world.” Sighing, Taneleer leaned against Matani, wishing he could simply lay his head in her lap and pretend the outside world didn’t exist. He regretted his words almost instantly. Carina was a wanted child, conceived in love, a balm that soothed the loneliness and pain of being immortal and a constant source of joy in both their lives. 

“Every world is broken in its own way. The more I see of the Universe, the more weary I become.” Resting her forehead against her husband’s, she closed her eyes a moment before speaking again. “We have to tell her everything. We waited far too long.” 

They were interrupted by Carina’s drowsy voice just at the threshold. “Tell me what? Papa!!” The child ran towards but stopped short of throwing her arms around him when she saw his bandaged shoulder. 

“You’re not my papa! You’re the monster who stole his clothes! Mama--run!” Crawling into the corner, she curled into a ball, shrinking back when Matani touched her shoulder. Though everything within him wanted to reach out and give comfort, to cradle his daughter and tell her it was all going to be all right, he stepped back to avoid frightening the poor girl and causing more damage.

“Carina--this is your father. The same one who reads you your bedtime stories and tucks you in with Princess every night.” Matani had managed to pull her from the corner and was sitting on the floor with Carina half in her lap. 

“But it’s not….him…” She choked out words between hiccuping sobs that shook her small body.

Taneleer came only a few steps closer, kneeled down at her level, tried to speak as quietly and gently as he could. “Carina do you remember when we saw the Ondurion chameleons...such beautiful creatures...you liked them so much you wanted to take one from the zoo…” 

Not looking at him, she nodded, then tucked her face against her mother’s neck and rubbed at her eyes with the back of her wrist. 

Taneleer continued, “I am like those chameleons...in a way..my appearance can change. Sometimes I can control it at will...sometimes the change just happens when I am threatened so I can protect myself or those I love.” 

If the situation hadn’t been so grave, the little girl’s frank response would have made him laugh heartily. “But the chameleons are pretty.” 

“Indeed they are. We’ve seen a lot of strange creatures in our travels, haven’t we?” Edging just a little bit closer, he smiled. 

Nodding and finally looking directly at him, Carina answered. “But why do you look so scary?” 

Standing and pacing, Taneleer turned back to face her after a long silence, looking to Matani for help. “Your father’s form is like the armored plating some creatures have or defensive spikes...it’s designed for protection. That was why he was able to save your life. Like him, I have a true form too.” 

Squirming in her arms, Carina looked distinctly nervous. “LIke his?” 

“Your mother’s form is very beautiful. Hers is like looking at light through a prism.” Taneleer smiled, remembering a time long ago when he had been allowed to see the mass of shimmering energy. 

Matani granted him a soft smile as she tipped up Carina’s chin. “Some men might find that form scary or ugly, but not your father. He isn’t afraid of my true form, and I am not afraid of his. When you love someone, when you know their heart, you don’t mind what their outside looks like so much.”

“Do I have another form? Can it look like Princess or have wings?” The child suddenly sat up, allowing Taneleer to sit next to her and Matani. 

This sudden childish enthusiasm did cause Taneleer to chuckle. “You do not have a true form because you are perfect just as you are.” In truth, he did not fully know the extent of her powers yet and whether she would live a mortal lifespan, an unnaturally long one, or something in between. 

Finally convinced, Carina hugged Taneleer’s waist. “I’m sorry I kicked you and ran away, Papa.” Arms enfolding her, he was struck by a sudden sadness, knowing that one day she would run away for good, leave the nest as was the natural order of life. 

“It’s alright. You know..my other form isn’t all bad. Maybe I could show you some of the good things about it one day..so you wouldn’t be scared anymore?” 

“Alright, Papa,” she held her arms up expectantly, and much to his and Matani’s delight, she allowed him to lift her up.

A few days later, Taneleer allowed himself to.transform again for the amusement of his child. Although she had been afraid just days before, now, she climbed on his back and swung from his arms.Matani watched as the little girl laughed, absolutely delighted as the tall creature tossed her high into the air and caught her then rested her back on his shoulders. Taneleer winced as she held onto the antennae sprouting from his forehead while he moved over to the higher branches of the fruit tree to let her reach out and pluck as many as she wanted. 

The additional height this form provided allowed him to gather fresh eggs straight from nests for Matani with Carina’s help too. The eggs fared better than the fruit as most of them actually made it into the basket he held rather than being snuck into his daughter’s mouth. 

In time, Taneleer’s form had become particularly good at warding off the monsters that lived in her room, because what creature could possibly stand up to him. Still, he and Matani made a good show of looking in every closet, drawer, and hidden spot. 

Over time, the child became used to his true form just as Matani promised she would, and one afternoon after they had been on a particularly exhausting hike to look for Carina’s favorite butterflies, she had found them both under the tree, sleeping soundly, Carina tucked protectively under one of her father’s huge arms.


End file.
